In what could only be described as one of the most interesting line up gigs of 2016, Pierce the Veil‘s Australian Tour kicked things off in Brisbane at Eatons Hill Hotel amidst a collection of over 18 fans and a massive array of underagers (majority of them female) hanging out ready to watch some great bands including Beartooth, hardcore veterans Silverstein and Australia’s very own Storm the Sky. As an “older” fan of 3 quarters of the line up it was going to be harder for me to be completely impressed by all the acts, however they managed to catch my attention for the entire evening and we’ll start things with Melbourne act Storm the Sky.

After 7pm the boys hit the stage to approximately just under a half filled venue and began showcasing material from their latest release Sin Will Find You as well as their previous, critically acclaimed album Permanence and judging by the audience who showed up to check them out, they were enjoying what they were seeing. Their newer songs sounded much heavier in person than first expected following the departure of their unclean vocalist, however the reigns were taken on board (quite fittingly well) by front-man William Jarrett who managed to grab everyone’s attention with his blend of both clean and unclean vocals while the rest of the band played their best to keep the crowd hooked and wanting more. The ongoing theme of the night for myself was “Damn I wish these guys were playing longer” because just as we all seemed to get into the band that was playing, it was time for them to wrap things up and make way for the next act. Storm the Sky left the stage to a round of applause from all across the venue.

The time between setting up for the next act and when the band hit the stage seemed to go on forever, well actually to be honest the next act was the main band I was so unbelievably stoked/pumped to be seeing again since discovering them for the first time last year. Around 7:45pm Beartooth took to the stage and the crowd of eagerly awaiting fans collectively lost their shit. First song up was “TheLines” and although it was early in the evening, around half of the audience managed to get up off their feet to welcome the Ohio act back to our shores , but the room wasn’t at their full potential, even though front-man Caleb Shomo was egging them on to get moving. I always feel for bands who try to get everyone involved, yet have to deal with a lacklustre effort however the boys played to perfection and moved on though their 8 track set list, following up with crowd favourite “Beaten in Lips” sending the back half of the mosh into a windmilling/expression hardcore dancing frenzy. Title track from their new album “Aggressive” up next which managed to pick up the mood and spirits of all those watching, with many fans at the back pushing their way as close to the barrier as possible. Next we moshed our way though “Hated” which at times sounded a little softer than the previous few songs, however the levels were fixed towards the end of the song and we were back on track for a great night again. That was until “Dead” began and it became obvious during the song we had some guitar problems, but without making a big song and dance about the issues the band tried their best to resolve the situation and move on with the song. Unfortunately the hiccup wasn’t fixed straight away but the rest of the band came together to make it work, even including a drum solo by touring drummer Connor Denis who managed to captivate the audience enough to take the focus away as the techs resolved the problem quicker than you could finish your drink between songs. “Fair Weather Friend” got everyone jumping again and the vibe was back on track as Caleb informed us the band had only two songs left and we were to not stop moving until the end of their set. “In Between” started a sing-a-long of sorts for those who knew the lyrics (not many from what it seemed close up) but that didn’t stop the big fans from running into each other singing at the top of our lungs.

The band wrapped up their short (like very short, they needed at least another hour or so added) with “Body Bag” after Caleb Shomo announced to the crowd that when he screamed the numbers 1-2, we all had to scream back 1-2-3-4 and instantaneously the biggest circle pit of the whole night was formed and seemed to continue for half of the song. From there the small amount of punters from the pit, collectively lost their shit as the band played the fastest and heaviest song of their full set which they somehow dragged on as long as possible for everyone to lose their breath and make the most of the band’s short time on stage. By the end of it, there were blokes covered in sweat, panting and applauding Beartooth as they headed off stage and out of our lives again.

For those who thought that would be the end of the heavier sounding acts of the night, they were certainly wrong when Canadian hardcore legends Silverstein hit the stage to a large applauding venue which almost doubled in size of attendance and the hard rock was back again for the hungry fans. Second song “Sacrifice” kept the momentum flowing with no signs of the guys slowing down anytime soon and older (aka loyal) fans welcomed the bands earlier song “Massachusetts” with open arms and loud cheers. It was around this time I looked up at the balcony attendees (the underagers) who when I thought about the band’s career, may not have even been born yet when that song was released. Their lack of enthusiasm also highlighted the fact the Canadian band may have been a wrong choice to open for the headliners Pierce the Veil, but the genre legends continued on playing with precision and were feeding off the fans in the crowd who egged them on and made the guys feel at home.

A circle pit was formed again during the song “I Am The Arsonist” but it was the band’s newer song “Milestones” which managed to bring the fast and furious vibe back to the venue. Following on from this front-man Shane Told jumped down from the stage (failing in the process and hitting the ground between the stage and the barrier) only for him to jump back up and straight into the crowd to get closer to those fans loving every second of his performance. Silverstein kept the heavy rock going for their final song of the set and as the exited the stage, it seemed as if everyone had finally come around to their set and gave them the support the rightfully deserved with a round of applause heard across the venue (including upstairs with the youngins).

Onward to the main event, Pierce the Veil began their headlining tour when guitarist Tony Perry entered the stage and opened up his guitar case to a bright light shining our (very Pandora’s Box style) and the rest of the band joined him amongst an ear piercing scream session from everyone in sight. The band opened with “Dive In” and we were treated to lights, smoke and confetti eruptions all within a matter of minutes. Seamlessly playing though “Caraphernelia” too, I at times wondered how many of the punters would lose their voices halfway though the set. Front-man Vic Fuentes oozed with the kind of sex appeal a newer generation of gig attendees could only adore as he sang effortlessly while the rest of the band behind him played to perfection while jumping across the stage (or in Mike Fuentes‘ case, bashed his kit hard). By song #3 everyone needed a second to catch their breath but it wasn’t going to happen as Vic announced the next song is the fastest song they’ve ever written and “Texas Is Forever” created a pit of energy which managed to keep everyone actively jumping around until just after halfway through with the energy from the fans subsiding towards the end.

As the band caught their breath back Vic addressed the crowd stating this was the band’s first club show in Australia in about 6 years and how they always love coming down to Australia to play for fans, (more screaming followed) and the guys went straight into newer song “The Divine Zero” from their latest record Misadventures, which surprisingly was a hit amongst the crowd. The San Diego four piece then asked the crowd of screaming fans who would like to join them onstage and I immediately thought “The last time a band at Eatons Hill called for girls to jump on stage was Steel Panther and we all know how that went down…”, but this wasn’t that kind of show and agirl by the name of Jess was the lucky fan who sat in a chair and was serenaded by Vic Fuentes as they started playing “Bulletproof Love“. Following this the boys got into “Floral & Fading” before slowing things right down for an acoustic jam of “Kissing in Cars“, a song that wasn’t supposed to be heard by any fan. It was written for a friend of the band’s wedding however it slowly became part of their set, loved by their ever growing fanbase.

The last four songs of the night “Hell Above“, “Bulls in the Bronx“, “Stained Glass Eyes And Colorful Tears” and “Hold On Till May” all went off without a hitch and the band exited the stage surrounded by a room full of screaming (and possibly even crying) fans. But, not to disappoint, the were back on for the Encore of the night consisting of new single “Circles” and the absolute crowd favourite “King for a Day“, the applause and appreciation for the band could be heard from the carpark outside as the boys ended their set and the first show of their Australian Tour, leaving many fans with huge smiles on their faces and their accompanying parents wondering “what makes these guys so special?”… maybe – Browny (@brownypaul)